A Day of Silence for gay rights

To help draw attention to violence against the LGBT community, many Wisconsin students will be staying silent today

Acceptance has grown for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and trans-gendered lifestyles. However, many students still face conflicts on a daily basis. Timothy Michael with the Gay-Straight Alliance for Safe Schools says those students face verbal harassment, discrimination, and even physical violence on a daily basis.

To raise awareness of those problems, Michael says students at over 100 Wisconsin high schools and college campuses will be observing a National Day of Silence today. The day long vow of silence is meant to represent the silence that discrimination is often met with in many communities.

The event has faced opposition from groups who claim it promotes gay lifestyles. Michael says the intent is only to highlight the hostility many gay students face each day. He says many of those students don't feel they can openly discuss their problems because they could face more discrimination. Michael says students shouldn't have to be afraid of who they are.